BRAVERY OF AN ENGLISH LADY IN AFRICA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6099, 4 June 1881, Page 7

BRAVERY OF AN ENGLISH LADY IN AFRICA.

Africa seems to be the favourite huntingground this season for the nobility of the sporting world, more especially for the English aristocracy. Lord and Lady Esmore went to Africa early in the winter, and after previous and'-highly successful Nimrodean experiences in South America, were more anxious than ever of meeting game worthy of their mettle: For that purpose they fixed at once upon the Lower Soudan as their first hunting station. Shortly after arriving there, their bravery, intrepidity, and presence of mind were put to the test which would-have satisfied many an old hunter. An antelope hunt, as a matter of course, undertaken on horseback, led the couple and their friends and followers, after a few hours ride, to a ■ genuine tropical forest; from a marshy swamp, in' its lower part assuming the proportions of a smalllake,.gigantic palm-trees lifted their heads and.invited the company to rest in-their, shade. JTfie horses -\yere unsaddled and given iin charge of-then-grooms and some. Soudanese."" Lady Esmbre, on hearing, thatithe forest-harboured'every sort of game,,soon became restless, and proposed to explore, the same,.little minding the difficulties'of-the advance.-" The'party soon reached a sort of creek, shaded by the thick foliage" of "enormous sjcamore. j At their approach the ungainly form ,of a rhinoceros rose : before them, and forcing 1 its passage through the underwood and.reeds disappeared-from sight, much to the latly's annoyance.: • While looking disappointedly after the colossal pachyderm, she felt a light touch on her arm,- and on turning round, saw one of the Soudanese-servants'wistfully pointing to the leafy roof of a sycamore.! On glancing upwards, she espied the ferociously glittering eyes of,a leopard, crouching on a "branch of thejree, and evidently in wait for some game coming to quench its thirst in the creek below. No sooner had she realised her position than she heard',the report of Lord Esmore's gun, and saw'the leopard .fallbleed-. .ing to the ground.- -A second shot stretched' him apparently dead.within a few feet of her. One of the Soudanese ran towards! the leopard in order to he the first to offer! the [ animal's beautiful skin' to ' the'lady, i but was seized by the agonised beast and'thrown down. Lord Esmore, seeing this, snatched a spear from a'companion standing by and rushed to free'the man from the claws of the leopard. At that moment a spotted object bounded through the air,.and.Lady. Esmore. saw a second leopard jumping down upon Lord Esmore, throwing him to the ground and fastening his teeth and claws in his shoulders. In spite of the evident danger of risking, a- ; shot undef these circumstances, Lady riot hesitate a second.! The ball almost grazed her husband's head) but pierced that of the animal, which igave a wild bound, in ' reeling : baels received another-shot from the gun of Lady ■Esmore, whos9 ; firmness. of hand and: sure aim extricated her .husband from further danger. Lord Esmore was more.painfully : than dangerously-hurt: his-wife bandaged the wounds as well as possible, and the. party' .to;: their--halting-place,' whence rather J a slow and -hot'iide~through the desert took them back to from.which they had started, with glowing •hopes,- in the morning. - Lady Esmore's presence of niiiid ha"d undoubtedly saved the life of,her husband, for the second biteof the infuriated animal would_ surely; have proved fatel.—Belgian News. ' ,